Codfish and Potato Fritters

With this recipe and video of Codfish and Potato Fritters, I bring you a dish I believe can easily become part of our new culinary culture. You should add it to the new Lent menu.

Culture doesn’t stop changing. No part of it does –thank goodness– and that includes a country’s culinary heritage.

We may hang on with teeth and nails to nostalgia, but the world keeps traveling at 1070 miles/hr, and dragging us all in this fantastic rollercoaster ride we call life. A lot of these changes are completely worth the price of admission.

Much as I love casabe, I am very glad for each and every wave of our ancestors that brought us good food –better food even– and we didn’t get stuck eating casabe and roasted fish for the rest of our lives. And thanks to all the creative cooks of bygone eras that combined new ingredients to make the dishes that today form our culinary culture.

And with this, I bring you a dish I believe can easily become part of our new culinary culture: Codfish and Potato Fritters

Codfish is a traditional ingredient in our Lent cuisine. The very beloved Bacalao con Papas (Codfish with Potatoes) is a staple hailing back from the days that the Catholic church proscribed meat-eating during Lent (and all Fridays).

Salted and dried codfish is a remnant of our colonial days, brought here by European traders, and made popular by the fact that it was both inexpensive and highly durable –a plus in pre-refrigeration days.

“Salt cod formed a vital item of international commerce between the New World and the Old, and formed one leg of the so-called triangular trade. Thus it spread around the Atlantic and became a traditional ingredient not only in Northern European cuisine, but also in the Mediterranean, West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines.” – Wikipedia

Frying is not the healthiest method of cooking, so I had these codfish and potato fritters as lunch, served on a bed of shredded lettuce and a dressing made from yogurt and capers. Two or three of these will make a very satisfying meal, made more so because they are very easy and quick to make. They can also be served to accompany a much larger meal.

Try them, and you’ll soon add this to your family repertoire too. Let’s keep the world, and our culture, moving.

Codfish and Potato Fritters - Recipe & Video: I bring you a dish I believe can easily become part of our new culinary culture. You should add it to the new Lent menu.

Servings: 6servings

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

For the dressing

1cupof unsweetened, low-fat yogurt

2teaspoonsof capers

1/2teaspoonof salt

1/4teaspoonof sugar

A pinch of cayenne pepper

For the fritters

9oz[0.9 kg] salted dry codfish

3/4lb[0.34 kg] of waxy potatoes

1small purple onion

2tablespoonsof chopped cilantro

1teaspoonof salt

1/4teaspoonof freshly-cracked pepper

1large egg

1/4cupof oil for frying

Instructions

For the dressing.

Mix all the ingredients and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

For the fritters

Rinse codfish with running water until all the superficial salt has been washed away. Shred codfish into small pieces and soak overnight in a gallon of water.

Sieve to get rid of the water. Taste it to make sure it isn't still salty (if it is it need to be soaked in clean water for another two hours).

Using two forks (or your very pretty hands) shred the codfish very finely.

Peel and grate the potatoes using the coarsest side of the grater. Grate onion on the same side.

Mix potato and codfish. Mix in onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and egg.

Heat half the oil over medium-low heat in a large non-stick frying pan.

Fry the codfish and potato mixture by forming small patties with two tablespoons of the patties, never more than 3 at a time. Once brown on the bottom side, flip carefully and cook until golden brown all over.

When you've gone through half of the mixture, add the remaining oil to the pan and heat again. Continue with the process until there is no more mixture.

Thank you, Clara, for a very well put together webbie.
My Grams hailed from Newfoundland, Canada.
Cod was a huge staple in her life, along with her 10 siblings. (Really)
Ergo, potatoes were always added, to stretch the meal.
I attach, herewith, her version of the recipe, from another site. (hope that’s ok?)http://www.rockrecipes.com/newfoundland-fish-cakes
Further, have you ever baked fresh cod with salsa? Delish. Just have to drain
the liquid halfway through the 1/2 hour cooking. Depending on the size of the
filet, cover the top with salsa and bake at 350. @15 mins drain and continue baking. I serve it over quinoa.

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4 years ago

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Eloisa

This looks amazing! And would love to try it. Just wondering though, can the salted cod fish be replaced by fresh unsalted cod? Thanks for sharing these recipes!